


The warmth of his hand

by huashan



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: ;(, M/M, Slow Burn, and he's on edge all the time, hairdresser!AU, half of the fic is yixing doubting everything, kyungsoo is the soft bf of his dreams, yixing wants to be loved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2019-01-06 11:25:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12210324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huashan/pseuds/huashan
Summary: Kyungsoo's whimsical colours fade after two showers, but his warm touch marks Yixing permanently.





	The warmth of his hand

**Author's Note:**

> [prompt #128]: Kyungsoo is a hair colorist and Yixing comes a lot because he likes whimsical colors and Kyungsoo's hands in his hair (and Kyungsoo's voice and how Kyungsoo looks when he's concentrating or laughing at something he said...)  
> this is probably not what the prompter expected and it's messy. I hope you'll still like it though! Thanks to the mods for organizing a Yixing centric ficfest!!!!

Being romantic, in this day and age, is not easy.

Yixing grips a bit tighter the hand in his hold, Yifan's hands are always a bit cold and Yixing feels his own warmth transfer from the tips of his fingers directly to Yifan's skin. The elevator dings and Yifan pulls away, exiting immediately.

Yixing clutches his bag closer to himself and takes his own path to the office booth. He turns just once, _just in case_ , he tells himself, but Yifan's already gone, no matter how hard he tries to warm his hand, he'll just keep slipping through his fingers, just like many have done before him. Satisfying his need for affection becomes harder everyday.

"Good morning!" Baekhyun is already sitting at his own workspace, he responds to Yixing's greeting with a mere hum, even basic human skills become too tedious after being awake for almost four days straight.

Yixing sits in his own booth and looks around the office as he pushes the power button of his computer. The entire space is chaotic: sounds, voices, people and papers flood every corner of the office. There's the smell of panic and cheap coffee everywhere in the air.

"Luhan has dropped some papers for you, Chanyeol was supposed to edit them, but he's come down with a fever." Qian speaks up from his right, she's holding a mug of coffee, like every other employee running throughout the room, but at least, she doesn't seem to be using it as her only source of sustenance like the rest of them.

"Thanks," he smiles at her and takes a look around his messy desk, he has to move around a few of his belongings to finally get to the files with Chanyeol's name on them.

It's a simple work of editing for the translation of a software, nothing too complicated and quite fast to go through.

He types the password in his computer and then starts working immediately, keeping his head down and his focus steady. His throat is already burning with the need to down some coffee.

 

-

 

"You arrived with Yifan today." Yixing's accompanying Baekhyun in the smoking area, even if he doesn't smoke himself and he isn't particularly happy to have his clothes permeated in its smell, his friend never fails to invite him.

"Yeah," Yixing grimaces as the old man sitting on the bench in front of them gives a violent, hacking cough just before taking another drag of his cigar. "He invited me over to go through that videogame I need to translate in Korean."

Baekhyun snorts and smoke blows from his nostrils, the smell is starting to get too pungent for Yixing, "And you couldn't do it at the office?" Baekhyun side glances hold more meaning that what he expresses in words, but Yixing plays blind and deaf to it.

He doesn't have much more to say about his relationship with Yifan, because, once removed what it seems to be on the surface, there isn't really any substance to speak of. If Yifan is in the mood to be with Yixing, he calls for him and drives him home, invites himself in his apartment and then fucks him wherever he pleases, with no explanation, no attempts to acknowledge what they're doing and what it means; they both know that ultimately, it doesn't mean anything.

Yixing knows he won't get anything out of indulging Yifan so blindly, but when he had first invited him, he had just moved to Seoul and had no one close to him, no one offering him company of any kind. His vulnerability made him dependent, he felt and still feels that for as long as he will wake up with someone on his side, he knows he'll be fine.

"Are you going to the hair salon soon? I need to get an haircut..." Baekhyun puts the cigarette between his lips and uses his hand to pull a strand of his bangs to straighten it and see how far it reaches,

"I'm going on Tuesday. If you want I can ask if they can add you." Yixing stretches his legs and poses his head on the wall. Despite being permeated in this toxic smell, the smoking area is the place where Yixing can relax the easiest in. The entire room is delimited by glass walls, but all the noise is muffled. So, who is inside can keep their eyes on the hectic space occupied by the booths and most of the employees, but with only a muffled rendition the constant ringing of phones, people shouting and photocopy machines working loudly, offering a few moment of rest to their ears.

 

-

 

Yifan passes near Yixing's booth more times than he would have liked, not because he minds his presence, but because each time he walks past him he pushes his thigh against his desk, making his entire workstation tremble and cause him to lose his already flimsy concentration.

Seeing how obnoxiously persistent he's been throughout their workday, Yixing half expected Yifan to ask him to go back together once again. He is a bit relieved when he sees him speeding through the lobby, followed by a guy wearing a suit, most likely from the accounting department.

Yixing tightens his green, thick scarf around his neck and mentally prepares himself for the impact with the bitter cold of the last weeks of November.

Half way through his walk, he is tempted to cross the street and get inside the first subway station he can find to shield himself from the teeth-chattering cold. He has already promised Baekhyun to get him an appointment, though, so he just powers through, pulling his bright yellow beanie tighter against his head. Fortunately, the walk to the hair salon isn't too long.

The familiar sign of the salon comes in view less than ten minutes later. Yixing has been coming here since he has moved to Korea, almost three years ago.

The glass doors offer a clear view over the inside of the salon. There are no clients sitting in the chairs, he can't even see Minseok moving around, but the sign on the door is still turned on the side reading _open_.

He pushes the heavy door, taking a moment to look around and see if there's anyone around. The furniture and interior design combine black and white elegantly, the only accents of colour are given by the potted plants standing against the walls and on some of the shelves, painting brushes of greens, lilac and deep pink. The entire area smells of all the artificial scents of the products used and there are still hairdryers and scissors lying on the surfaces in front of the mirrors, the chairs are moved far from the workstations, Minseok must still be cleaning.

Yixing clears his throat and steps inside, cutting the distance between the entrance and the small reception counter.

The door behind it swings open just as Yixing stops in front of it, he is about to greet the other, but stops himself when he notices that the short man, dressed in black, is not Minseok. The man is looking at him with wide eyes, like a kid caught doing something he shouldn't have, Yixing's heart skips a beat despite his better judgment. The man is standing in between this room and the one hidden behind the door, his round glasses are halfway down the bridge of his nose and his thick lips are hanging open for a few seconds before he greets Yixing.

"Good evening." for someone that works in contact with the public, the man seems quite wary and not as welcoming as those people usually are, but Yixing figures it's not that weird of a reaction considering the late hour; the only thing that actually confuses him is the fact that this is the first time he sees anyone other than Minseok working in the salon.

The man comes out of the door, he pushes his burgundy red hair off his forehead and his glasses higher on his nose. His demeanor becomes less stiff and he offers a polite, small bow, "How can I help you?" His voice is unexpectedly deep, but it's not husky, it's a steady, continuous smoothness, a gorgeous, full-bodied sound.

"I'm Yixing, I have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday," The man nods and lowers his head to look through the pages of the planner lying on top of the counter, "I'd like to know if it's possible to add another person..." Yixing observes the man's finger scrolling on the page, meanwhile he wiggles his own in the pockets of his coat, trying to get the blood flowing and warm them up.

"Yeah, no problem... Same time?" The man asks as he pulls a pen out of the cup near the planner to write down the changes.

"Yes, thank you." Yixing burrows himself into his outerwear, the other man doesn't say anything else, he just shakes his head seriously, but the expression on his face doesn't let Yixing understand if he were trying to respond to his gratitude or trying to tell him to shut up.

Once he has noted everything down, in utter calm, he puts everything back in the place it was occupying before. Yixing looks at the process a bit raptured and intrigued, but also trying to take time and bask in the comfortable heat of the salon for just a moment longer.

The man at the counter stops what he's doing to look at Yixing, reasonably confused, "If you want to stay inside you'll have to help me clean up." He smiles teasingly, for the first time since Yixing has entered, it widens as Yixing starts flailing around looking for an excuse to explain his unnecessary stalling.

"Ehm, ah... No," he cringes silently at the awkward stuttering, "I was wondering where's Minseok," Fortunately, his first thought turns out to be a pretty reasonable question and one he is actually interested in hearing the response to.

"Oh... He's already home," The man deflates and responds calmly, Yixing hums and nods his head, it feels like the atmosphere is mere moments away from becoming uncomfortable, the last thing Yixing wants to do is creep out Minseok's helper. He straightens himself and smiles at the man, ready to leave the salon.

"Do you come here often?" The redheaded man puts a halt on Yixing's intentions and walks out of the counter, ending up in front of him, he is observing him carefully, a bit too insistently; Yixing tries to level with his gaze but it's quite a hard feat to win.

"I'm here almost every other week..." There's a lump of nervousness building up inside him, but the other doesn't seem to pick up on it.

"Well, then nice to meet you, I'm Kyungsoo." he bows politely again and Yixing scurries to do the same, his left hand loosens his scarf slightly, to keep it off his face to greet and introduce himself properly.

"I'll be in your care." Yixing recites a bit mechanically, he isn't used to that particular Korean formula, it always feels strange to say it to people he doesn't know too well.

"Me too." Kyungsoo smiles at him, this time not teasing, Yixing stares at him a bit enamored with how handsome he looks. His lips curve as well, but his own smile is tinted by the heat of embarrassment, already making its way up his neck.

Eventually, Yixing manages to swallow his sudden shyness and get himself out of the salon.

 

-

 

Tuesdays tend to be the calmest days in the workplace, the real fear and chaos kicks in at the end of each week, when most of the deadlines are due; so no one is concerned when Yixing and Baekhyun get permission to leave the office half an hour before the end of the workday.

Yixing wouldn't want to admit it, but he is feeling a bit nervous and giddy at the prospect of meeting Minseok's new recruit once again. In the past week, he's gone through their encounter times and times again, each time finding something new to regret and wish he'd done differently. He keeps wondering what Kyungsoo might be thinking of him, he can't remember any sign in his behaviour or in his expressions, that might have unveiled it, and it stresses him to no end. Yixing isn't the kind of person to mind too much what strangers think of him, but he can't live with himself knowing that he might have to change the hair salon he frequents because he has weirded out a member of the staff.

Baekhyun walks in front of him for most of the time, so that he can follow him without thinking of the road and give himself some time to mull over the redheaded hairdresser.

As soon as they cross the entrance of the salon, Minseok stops everything he is doing to welcome them. From one of the three workstations comes Kyungsoo's distinctive deep voice, Yixing snaps his head in its direction, feeling a bit stupid for the immediate, instinctual response to the sound, but also because of the weird look that Baekhyun gives him.

Kyungsoo is crouched on the floor, to Yixing's surprise, he has a screwdriver in hand, tightening the screws on one of the swivel chairs. Yixing's eyes move from his focused face to the hand holding the tool tightly and then to his arm, the sleeves of his black shirt are bunched above his elbow, leaving his forearms and the bulging veins fully exposed.

"Oh, this is the helper Yixing was talking about!" Baekhyun chirps from where he's standing, Kyungsoo's gaze moves from the chair up to the newly arrived clients. His lips are in a serious, tight line and his eyes search the room curiously; Yixing raises his hand and offers a tentative wave, Kyungsoo's face brightens up and Yixing suddenly feels his throat constrict and not letting him say the simple greeting he had been about to get out.

"Hi," Kyungsoo nods his head, his gaze shifts from Yixing to Baekhyun as the latter moves closer to him to shake his hand.

"Kyungsoo is really a saviour, I don't even remember how I managed to work before he arrived." Minseok walks near Yixing and invites him to move away from the entrance and towards the wardrobe where clients can leave their bags and hang their jackets. Yixing follows Minseok's invite silently, offering only a light nod to thank him. He carefully takes each piece of his outer clothing off himself, he goes through the process slowly, not being to enthusiastic about leaving the warmth of his coat.

"Are you from Seoul?" Yixing hears Baekhyun ask, as he takes the beanie off his head and walks back to the other three.

"No, I moved after I started working here last month." Yixing furrows his eyebrows at Kyungsoo's response, if he's been working here for already a month, how has Yixing never met him before? He stops listening to Baekhyun's nosy questions to think back at this past month; it takes him a moment, but as he scans through his memories, he realizes that he has been spending so much time drowned in work and running around Yifan that he hasn't been coming to the salon since October, after his mother sent him a generous stack of cash for his birthday.

"Yixing, you can sit here," Minseok pulls the chair out of the workstation in front of him, "This is your lucky day." Yixing sits down and looks at the man questioningly through their reflection in the mirror "You're going to have your hair dyed by a real professional hair colourist." Minseok says puffing his chest, bragging about his employee like a proud father.

Kyungsoo appears behind Yixing as well, his face schooled in a deadpan expression. As soon as Minseok sees it, he starts laughing and he uses his left hand to squeeze Kyungsoo's cheeks. The redheaded man keeps his expression on, showing some impressive endurance, but after only a second too long of Minseok's teasing he shakes his head and shoves him away, threatening him by holding the towel he had been using to dry his hands like a weapon.

Yixing's throat trembles with a hint of laughter, Baekhyun is already wheezing on the side, Yixing glances at him and finds it impossible to keep himself from laughing as well. Kyungsoo's deep voice calls for order, even if his own lips have taken an amused tilt, his heavy hands grip Yixing's shoulders and turn him to face the mirror. Yixing gasps out of surprise, suddenly finding himself facing his own reflection without even realizing how it happened.

Kyungsoo is trying to talk over Minseok's teasing and Baekhyun's laughter, but Yixing isn't listening to any of it, too distracted by the way Kyungsoo is keeping him grounded on the chair and how his hands look and feel while doing it. Yixing looks down and basks into the warmth spreading through his body.

"Do you already know what colour you want?" Kyungsoo's voice shakes him out of his trance, Yixing raises his head and looks at himself, he scrunches his nose and takes his time thinking about it,

"You should do them red," Baekhyun shrugs and leans towards Yixing "You'll be in theme with Christmas." he seems to be making a genuine suggestion, which is surprising coming from Baekhyun.

"No," Yixing turns back to the mirror, he clears his throat and sits a bit straighter "Do you have a recommendation?" he looks at Kyungsoo's reflection, finding him already looking at him with his head tilted to the side. He purses his lips and removes his hands from Yixing's shoulders to thread his fingers through his hair. When he pulls his hair up and pushes them back, the black regrowth becomes more apparent, he expects Kyungsoo to tell him he should bleach them again,

"You'd look good with something like... Teal?" Yixing looks at the hairdresser a bit puzzled, despite his extensive knowledge of the Korean language, it's not unusual to forget some of the terms, so he turns towards Baekhyun searching for answers,

"It's like a bluish green," he tells him without an itch, surely already expecting Yixing to ask him about it. Kyungsoo leaves and comes back quickly, holding a volume of samples of hair dye on synthetic hair. He pulls out the colour in question and holds it on the wide palm of his hand, showing it to Yixing.

"It's nice!" he nods, he's never had these sorts of colours before, he usually tends to go for softer, pastel colours, mostly lilac and the lighter shades of blue.

"Raise your head, please." After a few moments of silence, filled only by the sounds of Minseok and Baekhyun talking amicably, Kyungsoo speaks up again, while holding a black piece of fabric in his hands. Yixing follows his request and lets him lay it over him and fasten it around his neck. Yixing helps him by spreading it over himself, until his body from the neck down is hidden behind it. Once Kyungsoo is satisfied with it, he takes a bowl from the piece of furniture standing between the workstation they're occupying and the one to their right, he leaves it on the glass-like surface in front of Yixing and then poses a clean brush right beside it. The way he handles his equipment is methodical, he must have gone through these actions many times before today and it shows. Yixing lets himself observe his hands in mild fascination, his fingers look so heavy and strong; from their appearance, Yixing wouldn't have expected them to handle those thin instruments with so much effortlessness, but as he sees him pick up dainty combs and brushes with the upmost care, his first assumptions crumble and he can't imagine Kyungsoo's hands move in any other fashion than the elegant way he's witnessing.

"Have you been doing this work for long?" The question slips out of his mouth naturally, his genuine curiosity is hard to keep under check, he hopes Kyungsoo doesn't mind him asking.

"It's been..." Kyungsoo takes the brush and starts stirring the concoction of hair dye and hydrogen peroxide; after a few turns he raises his eyes and looks straight at the wall he's facing, Yixing looks at him even more curiously than before, the silence and the hairdresser's weird reaction make Yixing's voice jump in an amused giggle "Six years." he finally concludes his statement, after a pause that should have felt uncomfortable, but Yixing is currently too intrigued to care.

"Oh, that's a long time..." Yixing keeps looking at Kyungsoo's sure movements and glances sporadically at his face.

"Yeah, I found work as soon as I graduated... I was lucky." The hairdresser opens a drawer of the dresser beside them and grabs a handful of hair clips, then he moves behind Yixing to start parting his hair in sections. Until here, he hasn't come up with anything different than what Minseok usually does, the difference is the way Kyungsoo goes through every action extremely seriously, his entire body leans towards the object of his attentions and his eyes are kept wide behind his glasses, observing each of his own movements carefully. The more Yixing experiences Kyungsoo working the more admiring of him he becomes, he seems genuinely interested in only performing at his best; Yixing recognizes himself in the same sentiment.

"If you keep staring so hard your eyes are gonna fall off," Baekhyun speaks up from where he's sitting, in front of the basin, waiting for Minseok to wash his hair. He catches Kyungsoo try to suppress a smile, Yixing grits his teeth and averts his eyes quickly

"I was just looking at his work!" he reasons, but the reflection of Baekhyun's face mocks him from above his shoulder, looking like a perfect Talking Cricket.

"It's okay," Kyungsoo pats his shoulder and picks up the bowl with the dye, shooting him a nice smile, "I don't mind." his hand rests higher on his shoulder and he squeezes, his palm brushes against his neck and Yixing flinches at the contact, cowering away from the touch. Kyungsoo's shocked face makes him break into laughter, even Baekhyun snorts from behind them.

After a quick explanation about his oversensitive neck, Kyungsoo finally starts lathering the hair dye on his head, glancing at his face from time to time with an expression that Yixing can't read and seemingly not realizing, or not minding, how Yixing keeps observing him back.

 

-

 

"New hair colour?" Yixing walks into the office break room, which is actually only a glorified broom closet with a vending machine.

Yixing nods his head enthusiastically, not hiding how satisfied he is with the outcome of his latest visit at the salon. "It looks nice, doesn't it?" he asks as he pushes his hands in the pockets of his jeans, looking for change.

"It does," Yifan looks completely out of place, wearing a suit and sitting on the beat up, beige couch stained with all sorts of beverages and food. He stands and walks over to Yixing, just as the latter pushes a couple of coins inside the vending machine and keys in the number of his desired item; Yifan is drinking a can of soda, Yixing can hear it tinkling every time Yifan brings it to his lips and his fingers grip it a bit tighter. "When did you get it done?"

"Last Tuesday," Yixing stares at the vending machine without seeing it, his interest is all gathered on the images from his last appointment at Minseok's salon replaying at the back of his mind. The pack of chips Yixing has paid for, falls down the hollow space of the machine and lands with a quiet crinkling noise, he bends to take it out and almost face plants, his balance put in jeopardy by one of Yifan's stupid jokes. Yixing gasps and manages to keep himself off the floor by splaying himself over the vending machine, "Yifan!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Yifan scurries to help him out, his face is schooled in a guilty expression, Yixing wonders what is the point of him playing idiotic pranks if he never owns up to them "You looked spaced out, I couldn't resist!" Yixing looks at him with dead eyes and starts poking his side with no mercy.

Outside of their arrangement, Yixing is quite comfortable with treating Yifan as a friend. He is one of the very first people to actively try to involve him into company dinners and stress relieving nights, where most of the staff invades a karaoke room and drinks until they black out.

Apart from helping him overcome his shyness, instigated by being the only new recruit in a company where everyone seems to know each other, he has also given him the opportunity to release frustration and tiredness providing him with a less platonic kind of company, consumed during nights spent together, acting closer to a couple than to friends. Although, the key word has always been _acting_.

Yixing has always had a drastically idealistic view of what it means to be in love: it's an exclusively monogamous relationship, which despite inevitable bumps along the road, always results in harmony and if the time is right and the conditions allow it, it might even last for a lifetime. He is not against compromises, but he doesn't find his desires to be particularly hard to please, at the end of the day, all he wishes for it's a stable relationship based on trust and mutual love, it's not as unreasonable as some of his ex "boyfriends" would want him to believe.

Although, as time moves on, he wonders whether he should work to change his views and ideas, the thought instigated more by necessity than anything else. In his case, adopting the ideas that everyone around him seems to support functions as a shield, a protection of sorts; after all, he doesn't know for how much longer he can let himself be disappointed each time his relationships end or turn out to be completely different than what he expected. Despite not being what he desires, sooner or later he might have to come terms with it and just give up.

Yifan and the people he met before and after him have advised him to leave the fantasies to his childhood memories and involve himself with other adults in a less dreamy and more pragmatic way. They want to make it seem like fantasies and idyllic desires can only be followed by the people who are considered _traditional_ , because they aren't allowed to have their same experiences: they aren't able to marry or to have kids, none of the traditions and celebrations Yixing loved seeing while growing up will ever apply directly to him in the same way that it does to men that love women. Still, Yixing doesn't understand what is the harm in aspiring to find the same kind of feeling of placid, everlasting affection.

"Hey, are you free tonight?" Yifan moves behind him and raises his right arm to cage Yixing between himself and the vending machine, his deep raspy voice used to be enough to have Yixing's knees tremble, but now, it barely fazes him. It becomes so easy to grow tired of something if there's no sentiment put into it.

"I'm a bit tired..." Yixing lets his voice trail off, while he ducks down and slips out of Yifan's figurative hold. Instead of staying around to continue the friendly banter, Yixing leaves the room altogether, more than happy to go back to his work.

 

-

 

The next time Yixing visits the salon, it's almost closing time, he had an appointment scheduled for earlier that day, but a few unexpected meeting didn't let him go when he had to.

"I'm sorry..." Yixing feels the need to apologize, if it weren't for him, Kyungsoo would already be on his way home.

"Don't worry," Kyungsoo ties the black gown around Yixing's neck and then wears his gloves, "I don't have anyone waiting for me at home."

Something cold touches the back of Yixing's neck, he jolts surprised, but quickly realizes that it's Kyungsoo's finger, applying the cream to protect the skin around his hair from any possible staining. He should have gotten used to Kyungsoo's gentle touches, but each time they pose on his skin they never fail to catch him off guard and make him flustered. Yixing has rarely been treated with so much care, not even Minseok spends so much time making sure his work was flawless, observing Yixing's reactions through the mirror and furrowing his brows in concentration as he completes his tasks in the same serious way that Kyungsoo uses. Yixing knows, it's nothing but the love Kyungsoo has for his art surfacing as he goes through the same actions he already knows by heart, but his behaviour and the mystery laced around his glances, make it hard for Yixing's romantic heart not to find himself hoping for something deeper, something that might involve him.

"Have you been working until now? Minseok told me you're a translator..." The salon is drowned in complete silence, the radio that usually plays pop music throughout the room is turned off and the quiet, calm atmosphere is doing wonders for Yixing's stress. Even Kyungsoo's voice, as he continues to ask Yixing about himself, never breaks the still quietness around them, on the other hand, it compliments it perfectly, the vibrations coming from his throat and his chest make Yixing's core quake and his limbs relax, it's mesmerizing.

"Yeah, but I translate mostly softwares and videogames..." Yixing is used to having people assume he must work with books or other sorts of publications, because it seems the best option for a translator; but for as far as he's concerned he couldn't have found a better occupation, giving him the opportunity to orchestrate his work in perfect harmony with his passions.

"Wow, that sounds cool," Kyungsoo's enthusiasm is clear by the way his voice looses its hefty deepness, he continues asking for what games he has worked on, Yixing is pleasantly surprised to hear him recognize almost every title he has contributed to.

For a while, neither of them adds anything else, but the atmosphere doesn't turn awkward; Kyungsoo is exploiting all his focus to lather the cream behind Yixing ears. The latter squeaks when Kyungsoo uses his knee to turn his chair to face him directly.

"Sorry," he apologizes, even if he's smiling and Yixing is temped to raise his hand and slap his chest to reprimand him jokingly, but he needs to give himself a limit for what he is allowed to show of the ease with which he swoons over Kyungsoo. The redheaded hairdresser bends over slightly, his face is entirely too close, much closer than the first time he went through the same treatment with Yixing. His thick, gloved finger dips back into the small pan of white cream, his eyes should be looking at his forehead, where the cream needs to be applied, instead they're looking into Yixing's brown irises. Kyungsoo's gaze holds the same intensity that never fails to confuse Yixing, making him feel like he's being scrutinized and, he recognizes it's complete wishful thinking, a bit cherished.

The silence stretches on, Yixing had been praising it just moments ago, but he has to take it all back, when there's no noise to cover up the growling of his empty stomach. He tries to play it cool, to make it seem like nothing has happened, even though he can see his ears already flushing in embarrassment from his reflection on the mirror. Eventually, his stomach emits a second, more insistent growl and Yixing has to lower his head in shame, doing his best to hide his face behind hand. Kyungsoo's laughter comes out of nowhere, the sound is rich and round, his deep voice seems to explode directly out of his chest "Do you want me to get you something to eat?"

Yixing grimaces and shakes his head "No, I'm fine!" Kyungsoo tries to push his head back and force him to look back up so that he can continue with his work, but Yixing needs a moment to recover, this time he does raise his hand and gives a half hearted slap to Kyungsoo's arm "Don't laugh!"

 

-

 

  
"Why do you dye your hair so much?" Kyungsoo has invited Yixing to have hotpot in a well-known restaurant near the salon. Yixing has rarely ever gone to it, the prices are too high and he can't treat himself with expensive food if he wants to keep his visits at the hair salon regular.

After having a bit more of conversation, not related to Kyungsoo's job, Yixing has grown used to the way Kyungsoo asks questions: every time he asks him anything, he stares at him attentively, as if Yixing were the holder of some sort of higher secret.

"There isn't a reason... I'm just taking revenge on my mom, she never let me dye my hair during high school..." They are sitting one in front of the other, the low table between them is furnished with a burner, the pot posed on it is filled with boiling broth and as soon as the waitress brings them the fresh ingredients, Kyungsoo starts adding them in it. Yixing takes deep, satisfied breaths of the fragrance permeating the air between them as it becomes richer as the ingredients cook.

"Ah..." Kyungsoo is using his chopsticks to stir the contents of the pot from time to time, even here, he takes the task he's given seriously and steadfastly. "Is your mother in China or is she here?"

"No, I'm here on my own." Yixing misses having her around, he misses being close to his entire family; they are the things he misses the most from home.

"What city are you from?" Kyungsoo asks then, he reaches for Yixing's bowl and starts filling it up with the food ready to be served.

"Changsha, it's in Hunan... I moved here almost three years ago." Yixing gets out quickly, happy to be talking about his home. He takes a bite out of his food, finally starting to feed his famished stomach, Kyungsoo hums as he fills his own bowl and adds more food into the pot. He leans over the pot to control its content, his glasses fog up, tinting his lens in white and turning him blind, he scrunches his nose and uses a finger to pull them down his nose; Yixing snorts at the sight and Kyungsoo looks at him jokingly unimpressed.

They continue eating and making light conversation, Yixing barely feels the time passing.

"Do you need a ride?" They both feel reluctant to leave the homely warmth of the restaurant to get themselves back into the nightly, December cold. Yixing rolls his scarf around his neck and tucks his newly dyed purple hair under his beanie.

"No, I don't live too far from here... It's just around the corner." Yixing raises his hand and waves it to refuse Kyungsoo's offer,

"Let me walk you home then?" Yixing tilts his head and stares at Kyungsoo, at a loss for words, wondering what is wrong with him,

"Why would you want to spend time in the cold if you have a car? Don't worry about me, I'm used to it." Yixing pats his shoulder and walks past him, directed to the entrance of the restaurant. He does believe he is used to how low the temperatures in Seoul can reach, but proving it, it's another story.

The mere contact of the frigid hair with the naked skin of his face makes him shiver, it's already ten in the evening, so the weather is considerably colder than the usual temperature Yixing experiences when he leaves work every late afternoon.

Kyungsoo doesn't answer his question, he just keeps his position beside him in silence not giving any signs of leaving.

"Well... I'm sorry for forcing you to stay behind at work." Yixing burrows into his heavy clothes, but they still offer a flimsy protection from the cold.

"You weren't forcing me, it's no problem, really." Kyungsoo pushes his glasses up his nose and smiles reassuringly at Yixing; his thick, black jacket makes his movements less fluid than normal.

"I'll see you next time, then..." Yixing closes his hands in tight fists in his pockets. If he could be honest with himself, he'd admit that he doesn't want to see Kyungsoo go just yet. His fears and bloated expectations are already coming in full force. This is the first time in years, that he has had anything so close to a date, but just like every other date he's ever had, Yixing is utterly oblivious to whether the other person involved considers it in the same way that he does.

Yixing has been around him only three times, but through this short period of time, Kyungsoo didn't hold himself into any sorts of secrecy, he seems simple and genuine; he is serious on his workplace, but he can also be funny and intentionally dorky, the only things keeping an air of uncertainty around him is the thin veil of healthy awkwardness and, from time to time, Yixing's inability to understand what feeling is hidden in his gaze. It doesn't discourage Yixing at all, on the other hand, it makes Kyungsoo much more interesting and fun to be around; on top of that, he seems to genuinely care about his work and for the people he meets and he is so warm, too warm not to give false hopes to the side of Yixing conditioned by his sentimental fantasies.

"Hey, I was wondering... Can we see each other again? Out of work, I mean..." Kyungsoo steps closer to him, he is a bit shorter than Yixing, so he can look at him while still keeping the lower half of his face hidden behind his scarf and he is glad he can, because Kyungsoo's words have left him gaping. In just a sentence he has provided the answer to Yixing's internal doubts, without him even mentioning them.

"E-Ehm..." He stutters and stumbles over a million different reasons why he should scream _YES!_ and just as many to say _no_.

Kyungsoo is looking at him, his eyes show something new, that Yixing's hasn't seen before: a glint of hopefulness. In a swift moment, in which Yixing is still desperately grasping and gathering all his messy thoughts, Kyungsoo's eyes lose the glimmer and he looks down at his feet, releasing a chuckle that lacks amusement.

"Yes, okay!" Yixing jumps into his answer the moment he sees the first symptoms of Kyungsoo doubting himself, he can hear his own heart beat against his chest and the tips of his fingers tingle with the rush of adrenaline. Kyungsoo brings his gaze back on Yixing, he doesn't look directly at him as he normally does, instead he pushes his hands in his pockets and looks somewhere on Yixing's chest, while his plush lips form a shy looking smile, that melts the bitter bite of the cold around them.

 

-

 

"Qian," Yixing hears Baekhyun close a heavy reference book, a bit harder than what the company advises. Qian is typing on her keyboard furiously, the sound of her keys mesh with Yixing's own loud tapping. "Did you know that Yixing has a boyfriend?"

Yixing's finger's slips and a long string of _R_ s appears on his translation.

"Baekhyun?" Yixing leans over his desk to peek over the booth in front of him, where Baekhyun is working, he whispers his friend's name with disbelief. He did expect Baekhyun to tell other people what Yixing has shared with him about the latest developments with Kyungsoo, but he didn't think he was going to start making hyperbolic claims so early.

"Really?!" Qian turns towards Baekhyun, purposely ignoring the direct subject of their gossiping "Finally he has stopped messing around with Yifan?"

"That's what you would think-"

"Hey, guys, I'm here?" Yixing forces his presence inside their conversation, not wanting anyone to come to any conclusion "We aren't really dating..." He composes himself on his chair, his traitorous mind finishes his sentence with a hopeful _yet_.

"What? Of course you are, he asked you out properly." Baekhyun sits back on his chair, with mirth playing in his pretty eyes and smugness spelled over his entire posture

"Well, Weiting had asked me out as well, but I never heard anything after he got in my pants." Yixing recalls shrugging his shoulders.

"For someone that keeps complaining about _true love_ and _soulmates_ , you've fucked around a lot." Qian chirps from the side, making Yixing wanting to disappear out of this room and out of the planet.

"Yeah, I know," He grimaces and gets his attention back on the translation, if this will be the level of the conversation, Yixing isn't sure if it'll be a wise decision to keep listening.

"What is he supposed to? He wanted to fucking die when Jongdae bought him a dildo, he could barely look at it, there's no way he can use it..." Baekhyun tries to salvage Yixing's name, but the explanation attached to his good intentions doesn't make him feel any better, considering that only a week after Jongdae presented him his gift, he had already started using it.

"I mean," Yixing clears his throat "I'm not a nun." he regrets it immediately, Baekhyun's loud snort makes half of their colleagues turn towards the three of them and glare.

"We know you aren't, 'Xing, but you look too cute and it always surprises me." Qian's prying fingers reach Yixing's dimpled cheek to pinch it. Yixing lets her torture his face, but not without making sure she sees his eyes rolling all the way to the back of his skull "And it's fine to wish for something more... There's no way you'll just keep meeting people that are only after your ass, someone better will definitely come around." Qian's stops pinching him to stroke his reddened cheek, if she were anyone else Yixing would be shivering at all the unjustified contact.

"Correction, he has already come around." Yixing stops forcing the strained expression responding to Qian's annoying hands to turn to Baekhyun with a bit of panic rising from his core.  
  
"Stop putting Kyungsoo under all this pressure," He juts his lips out and squints his eyes, annoyed by the ease with which Baekhyun speaks of the hairdresser he's only met three times.

"Don't give me that, I was getting all light-hearted when you kept glancing at each other at the salon... And _now_ he's asking you out, if everything goes according to your plans you'll be married in five months." Baekhyun stands up from his booth and walks up to the small space between Yixing and Qian's, his hands reach for Yixing's neck to shake him around a little bit, his face is morphed in a silent, excited scream. Yixing's previous tense expression melts in an embarrassed laughter, he can always count on his friends to fuel his high delusions.

"Listen, just stop talking... And when he turns out to be like Yifan, you'll have to buy me dinner for a month." Yixing raises his arm to grab Baekhyun from the scruff of his neck, it's the spot that always makes him stop flailing around and being obnoxious, it's just like pinching the back of a cat's neck. Baekhyun apologizes and accepts the repercussions of his noisy mouth. Yifan comes out of his office with what seems complete wrath on his face, someone must have told him the three of them were making a ruckus.

Once they get back to their work and Yifan back in his office, after having walked around them trying not to make it seem like he was controlling specifically them; Yixing speaks up again and Baekhyun offers him a brilliant smile

"And it's not like we can get married, anyway..."

 

-

 

It's five days before Christmas.

There isn't anything particularly interesting going on at work and not even his private life, that seemed to be sailing towards promising lands, hasn't moved at all since the past weeks.

Despite Kyungsoo's, apparent, explicit wish to see him outside of the salon, he hasn't manifested himself into Yixing's life in any kind of way. He hasn't called, hasn't sent a text, hasn't surprised him out of the company, to have dinner together after a long day of work; he realizes that the last one might be complete fantasy speaking, but the first ones are nothing short of reasonable.

He isn't particularly experienced in this "platonic" kind of dating, but he had expected it to go somewhere eventually. All this stalling is giving him reasons to believe that maybe he misinterpreted Kyungsoo's intentions, the most common mistakes he occurs in every time he meets someone he likes a bit more than normal. Perhaps all he wanted was free keys for the games he translates, he had looked pretty excited about Yixing's work after all.

So, it goes without saying that Yixing is a bit apprehensive about going back to the salon. He has scheduled this appointment the last time he went there, so everything has already been decided and he wouldn't want to mess up Minseok's schedule, knowing how much of a control freak he can be, and the purple hair dye has already almost completely washed out, leaving him with his yellowish, dry, damaged hair slightly stained with blue; it's not a great look, but not the worst he's ever had either, if he actually wanted to he could just call in and pull himself out of all this distress.

That would have made sense, if Yixing weren't so strict with himself and the promises he makes; moreover, it would be best to cut ties, while it's still early and Yixing wouldn't find it too hard to file Kyungsoo under the sphere of his memories dedicated to his disappointing relationships.

Yixing wears his coat and waves goodbye to his friends, he takes his hat and scarf out of his pockets to put them on as well, but the scarf ends on the floor and Yixing has to run back to get it.

Yifan reaches it seconds before him, handing it to him with a gracious smile, Yixing thanks him and puts himself back on the path to reach the elevator, Yifan follows him closely, headed towards the same direction.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Yifan laughs as Yixing's eager hands keep trying and failing to zip his dark jacket properly up to his neck.

"I have an appointment at the hair salon," he can't be bothered to elaborate, too focused on getting himself ready and try to arrive at the salon without too much delay.

"I can drive you there if you want." Yifan offers, looking a bit worried at Yixing's fumbling,

"No need, it's better if I walk," the more time he puts between himself and his destination, the more opportunities he'll have to decide what he wants to say to Kyungsoo.

"Are you free on Christmas? I can book a room at the hotel we went to last year." Yifan's gummy smile gets reflected on each mirrored wall of the elevator. Yixing finally manages to get himself zipped up and ready, but he wishes he still had something to occupy his hands with. In all the hastiness of the past weeks, he has failed to talk about his latest developments to the person he should have informed first.

Even if he had talked to Yifan about Kyungsoo, what would he be supposed to say? It's not like he knows with certainty what's going on between them, but despite not having any actual reassurance, what he has with Kyungsoo still feels more inviting than what he shares with Yifan. The giddiness that he was sent in at the mere possibility of being in an actual romantic relationship with someone as delightful and handsome as Kyungsoo, leaves very little attractive to what he has had going on with Yifan until now.

Yixing turns towards him, his heart it's in his throat; his arrangement with Yifan has been going on and off, with long breaks caused by Yixing's attempts at moving past his love draught and then failing miserably. If Kyungsoo turns out to be just one of many, Yixing is sure Yifan would take him back with no problem. Except, he is at a point in his life, where he feels reluctant at the idea of continuing any of this. He knows this is not what he wants and yet it's always so easy to fall back into it when no one offers anything better; if Yixing wants to seriously pursue his dreams, for as far fetched and ridiculous they might sound to everyone else, he knows he can't keep dragging himself back in what he claims to hate. The opportunity he has with Kyungsoo seems to offer the perfect chance to put a close to it once and for all.

"Yifan, I think I want to end it here..." Yixing observes closely Yifan's body language, he wasn't expecting anything dramatic, but the way he doesn't even blink before nodding and agreeing really speaks volumes about how drastically different Yifan's point of view is compared to Yixing's. "But let's keep being friends." Yixing rushes to say, just as the elevator dings and the doors open.

"Of course." Yifan looks at him like the implication of them stopping being friends hadn't even crossed his mind and knowing him and his extreme outgoing attitude, that's probably exactly what has happened.

"Aren't you dyeing your hair too often?" Yifan's big hands push the beanie lower on Yixing's head until it covers all the parts of his face that weren't already covered up by his scarf.

The plan of spending the walk to the salon preparing himself for rejection is hijacked by the tiny seed of regret planted by his latest decision. Yixing likes standing firm on his feet, once he takes a radical decision, his stubbornness hardly ever lets him turn away and act like it had never happened. He might have spent his first month living in Korea telling himself that it was a stupid decision, that he'll never fit in with the others, but he has never even thought of going back or even call his mother and let her know he wasn't really feeling as excited as he was when his company wanting to transfer him to Seoul was just a possibility written on paper. No matter how much he'll regret it, there's no chance of him taking a step back once a clear decision has been made.

The glass door and the familiar sign finally come into view, Yixing's chest is heaving, he must have sped through the distance without even noticing. He doesn't give himself time to ponder over anything anymore. When in doubt, let the instincts dictate the rules.

There are other people inside the salon, a mother and her daughter are hogging up Minseok's attentions, but he still manages to give a quick greeting as Yixing enters.

The front door closes quietly after him and the door behind the counter, where he guesses the staff must store all their products, opens suddenly, revealing a particularly attractive and put together Kyungsoo. Yixing has always seen his hair down and straight, with no particular effort put into it, but today he has it styled up, his shaves sides are kept nice an clean, quite different from Yixing's unkept haircut, and his face looks more open, healthy and glowy.

"Hi," Kyungsoo smiles and closes the backdoor behind him, he gestures to invite Yixing inside. Yixing is wary of him and keeps his distance, there was no reason for Kyungsoo handsomeness to be so overplayed on the day Yixing is trying to understand if he just wants to fuck him or to get into his free library of triple A videogames.

It's kind of sad that even Yixing's subconscious has started taking out the option of Kyungsoo wanting to bring him out on cute dates and in a couple of months, meet his parents and take a dog together.

Yixing laughs under his breath at his own sarcastic hyperboles, but deep down inside, he keeps the lined blurred, just in case Kyungsoo is into over romantic guys with trust issues.

Yixing smiles at him politely and makes his way to leave his coat in the wardrobe, Kyungsoo follows him for a while, Yixing is almost tempted to call him over and set the record straight immediately; but when he turns towards him he changes his mind instantly, there's no way he's spending an hour under his care after outing his true intentions and possibly damaging their relationship forever.

"What colour are you getting today?" Minseok asks from where he is cutting the girl's hair, taking the chance to speak up while the girl's mother is taking a break from her infinite chattering.

"I don't know, probably I'll go back to lilac? Maybe pale blue?" Yixing ponders looking at himself on the mirror, giving himself the order to not start staring at Kyungsoo from the get go.

"What?! Again? Do one you've never done before..." Minseok tells him,

"You should think it over carefully," Kyungsoo speaks up and his warm hands thread through Yixing's hair, "Because I'm not dyeing your hair anymore after this."

Yixing's heart jumps to his throat and then sinks in stomach with a painful flip, he actually feels like he needs to hold his belly, taking precautions for what Kyungsoo might say next, and with a completely normal, straight face he might add, like he's talking of the weather.

"You're going away?" He feels a bit stupid that this is the fist thing that his mouth blurts out, but he is officially lost and confused and, most and foremost, he's _tired_ and just wants to make things clear and straightforward.

"...No?" Kyungsoo's thick eyebrows furrow, his natural deadpan expression shifting into confusion, Minseok laughs from the side "I just don't want you to become bald."

"Wow, that would be a new look, all right..." Minseok giggles, the girl's mother turns towards Yixing, looking at him with more interest than he would like, but he understands, considering how panicked he had sounded.

"Oh," he starts, nervous laughter bubbling in his throat, his tense stance melts and he sits back in his chair, reprimanding himself mentally "I don't know then..."

"What's your favourite colour?" Kyungsoo asks, promptly cutting short Minseok teasing Yixing in the background.

"Purple... I just had that though," Yixing alienates himself from the embarrassment created by his reactions and thinks seriously about his hair,

"Have you ever had pink?" Kyungsoo's hands are standing still over Yixing's scalp, moving from time to time to feel the texture of his hair. In every moment, every situation, Kyungsoo's hands never feel cold, his natural warmth spreads from Yixing's head to the rest of his body, shedding the last remnants of the cold still attached to his body.

"No," Yixing looks to the side, he's a bit unsettled to find the woman still looking at him, fidgeting with a trashy gossip magazine.

He wants to send her a questioning look, but he knows exactly what's going through her head and he doesn't feel the need to approach any more conflicts, he has already enough of those going on within himself.

"I think you'd look cute with it..." Yixing doesn't like being called cute, but he lets it pass because Kyungsoo has started circling the soft pads of his fingers over his head, he massages his scalp slowly and he stops from time to time to feel the dry texture of Yixing's hair, his wide palms are still heavenly hot.

"...Okay." Is he really letting Kyungsoo decide the colour of his hair? How is he going to cope with it if the appointment doesn't end like he hopes it will? His brain catches up with the situation after he has already answered, it's too late to wonder about the consequences after having already agreed.

For the rest of the appointment, Kyungsoo goes through the process with the usual upmost calm, taking his time and treating Yixing and his hair with care and attention, as professional as always. Yixing basks in the experience giving himself some slack from the continuous stream of his wondering, letting himself get swept away a little more by all the tiny things that make Kyungsoo so dreamy. This time he is perfectly aware he's staring, but he doesn't mind the possibility of being caught.

In an hour, he is ready to go, his hair looks like cotton candy, even the consistency, but fortunately not as sticky, even though Kyungsoo went a bit hardheaded with the gel to keep the thick mop of his hair styled to perfection.

He pays and schedules a new appointment for two weeks from then, Kyungsoo reiterates that he needs to give some rest to is hair and his scalp, before he damages it irreparably, so he is not allowed to get any colour out of the limited choices that black and brown offer.

Yixing isn't really listening, his mind is fuming with fired up pep talks and encouragements, he needs to take Kyungsoo to the side, but he has already disappeared in the storage of the salon. He swallows and fumbles around with change, trying to take time, but only succeeding in getting some strange looks from Minseok.

"Well, I'm going then," his voice creaks as another coin falls to his feet,

"Aren't you waiting for Kyungsoo?" Minseok asks, his eyebrows raise on his forehead, his expression is clearly implying something else

"Ehm... Yes," Yixing slips the coin into his pocket and responds to Minseok's question warily, expecting some unnecessary comments, but receiving none.

Kyungsoo emerges from the storage wearing his jacket and a gracious smile "Ready?"

Yixing cranes his neck and takes a moment before responding, not feeling in tune with what is happening around him.

"...Yeah."

Yixing blanks out and his heart climbs all the way to his ears, to pump violent streams of blood to his temples, leaving his knees weak and wobbly, as they exit the salon and Kyungsoo grips his hand without even asking, like it's natural. He must have sensed Yixing's hesitance because he turns towards him and looking completely unbothered he asks

"Is it ok?" Yes, of course it is. Kyungsoo seems to be on a mission to see how many of Yixing's requirements for the perfect relationship he can tick off the list. Kyungsoo almost lets go, but Yixing tightens his hold and nods his head. After this, Yixing can't bear with the idea of Kyungsoo letting go.

Kyungsoo brings him to a cozy, Chinese restaurant; he can barely keep his excitement, it's not too far from his apartment, but he has never seen it before today, he's glad to know there's a piece of home so close to where he lives. He gets a bit daring with his choices, ordering spicy foods that not even Yixing can digest; he knows he shouldn't, but it makes him think about how good he will be at eating Hunan cuisine, probably good enough to match up to his father.

"What are you doing on Christmas?" Almost two hours ago, Yifan had asked him the exact same question, but the emotional response that Yixing has when it's Kyungsoo asking couldn't be any less alike to what he felt with his colleague.

"Nothing... Unless someone asks me out," Yixing shrugs,

"Can I ask you out?" They are sitting in front of the counter, behind it the cooks are flaming and frying food and there are strangers at each side of them, and yet Kyungsoo doesn't hesitate to get his arm around Yixing's waist and pull him towards himself, no ounce of shame detected on his face.

"I've been waiting for you to ask me out for two weeks already." Yixing takes a sip of his water, Kyungsoo releases a quiet _ah_ and grimaces,

"I wanted to, but last time I sort of blacked out and forgot to ask you for your number." Kyungsoo laughs at his own antics, leaving Yixing dumbfounded, making him realize that the whole thing that started making him doubt Kyungsoo's intention had been nothing but an oversight and with such a cute reason too.

He appreciates the simplicity of Kyungsoo's actions, how he never seems to overthink things, the exact opposite of Yixing's modus operandi; but he isn't used to be so open during his dates, the most platonic affection he's gotten until now has been Yifan's footsie, but it happened completely coincidentally, only because his legs are too long to be kept under one end of a table. Yixing lowers his head to hold it in his hands, sure of the fact that all the people around them must be looking. Kyungsoo instead of letting him breathe, scoots even closer and looks at him insistently, clearly enjoying Yixing's distress. Yixing whines and pushes him back, telling him to stop teasing.

He repeats the same thing a few minutes later, when they're halfway through their food and Kyungsoo pretends to not be doing anything strange when he uses his thumb to get sauce off Yixing's lower lip; but he doesn't repeat it a third time, when Kyungsoo insists on accompanying him home and instead of asking him to invite him inside, he poses his hot hands on his sides and sweeps him off his feet with a tender kiss.

Yixing never got to ask his questions and clear all his doubts directly, but that night, feeling cocky, he sends a quick text to Baekhyun all the same, telling him jokingly that he can start printing the invites for the wedding.

 

-

 

Yixing and Kyungsoo have taken the habit of meeting each other almost everyday, they eat out together during Yixing's lunch breaks and sometimes they willingly expose themselves to the freezing weather to meet out of the salon and walk together up to Kyungsoo's car; Yixing's heart stumbles on its several skipped beats every time he thinks of how normally and calmly things are progressing.

The first time Kyungsoo proposes to spend some time at his apartment, it's when he invites Yixing over to spend the Christmas night together. Yixing wears his best pair of jeans and his reddest sweater, a simple, but more carefully put together version of his everyday look. On the other hand, when Kyungsoo is out of the salon and free from the "black clothing only" policy, he turns out to have quite a _surprising_ taste. His khakis and checkered shirt make him look so domestic and proper, Yixing gives himself the liberty to affectionately dub it as the dad style.

The revelations just keep happening, Kyungsoo's apartment is clean and organized, his furniture has an elegant minimalistic style, the opposite of Yixing's messy house; but out of all of them, Kyungsoo's homemade food is the one that Yixing would have never seen coming. At this point, Kyungsoo is exceeding his expectations and Yixing's sappy view of love is being rivaled by real life events; something he'd never thought he'd live long enough to experience.

They converse leisurely throughout the delicious dinner, Kyungsoo has put a film on, to keep the interest high even if they fall into silence, but they never run out of things to talk about.

They eventually start paying some flimsy attention to the film after they have cleaned the table and pretended to wash the dishes: a messy deal, with Yixing pouring industrial quantities of soap and filling Kyungsoo's sink with too much foam to clean anything effectively; he is sent away rudely, Yixing can't make out if Kyungsoo's really angry or if he's just playing the part, in doubt, he pecks his cheeks and apologizes putting up the cute act that only the people he's the closest with are allowed to witness. Kyungsoo's ears turn red but he acts unimpressed, shooing Yixing away by spurting hot water on him.

Yixing can't contain himself, the light giddy feeling he had felt from just being around Kyungsoo is breaking his barriers and washing over him with no restrictions, turning his tiredness and tenseness in a dazed state of relaxation.

When Kyungsoo finally sits beside him, the movie is already at its end credits, but Kyungsoo still asks "Did you like it?" Yixing curls on himself, folding his legs against his chest,

"I wasn't paying attention," he poses his cheek on his knees and fits himself against Kyungsoo's side "Your pants are distracting, gramps." Yixing smooths his hand on Kyungsoo's lower back, fitting it between his boyfriend and the cushion he's sitting on, to cup a handful of his round ass; Kyungsoo turns towards him with a strained smile on his face, a breath later he has the flesh of Yixing's arm in a fierce pinch, making him squeal and cower away from his bruteless intentions. Once he escapes, Yixing looks at him with the most exaggerated outrage and his hand caressing his arm,

"What did you call me?" Kyungsoo's voice is kept to its usual plain calmness, but his fingers don't give Yixing any rest, he ends up with his back against the armrest of the couch and his legs up to fight any attack that might be sent his way. Although, he makes his own defense useless when he basically offers his own calves to Kyungsoo's warm hands.

The playful bickering dies down as Kyungsoo's hot palms travel on the length of Yixing's legs, once they reach his knees he pulls him toward himself, making him back collide with the soft sofa. Yixing gasps, his sweater rides up his stomach, the blow of cold air and his view of Kyungsoo make it stirr with a kind of hunger that can't be satiated with food. Kyungsoo prances on him, his hands end up on each side of his torso, Yixing looks up at him, his heart is picking up speed and his breathing is becoming shallow.

"Yixing," Kyungsoo's voice is breathier than normal, but still full and heavy, "How are you feeling?"

"Good. Amazing." Yixing smiles, Kyungsoo dips down and kisses his lips. It's a simple, gentle brush that steadily grows into deeper, more playful kisses, Yixing's hands circle his neck and grab fistful of his hair, Kyungsoo's low voice breaks in a growl when Yixing tugs on his red strands more forcefully, he stores the information away eager to use it any time he can. Kyungsoo's hands splay on the couch and he uses it as leverage to get himself out of Yixing's grip and stand on his feet, when he succeeds, he offers his hand to Yixing, who accepts gracefully and lets himself be dragged off the couch.

"Is this ok?" Kyungsoo whispers against his neck, his breath makes Yixing squirm, but instead of moving away he plasters himself closer against him, hugging his shoulders,

"Yes..." Yixing leaves a peck behind the other's ear, his nose picks up the light scent of his shampoo. Kyungsoo closes his arms around Yixing's waist and cranes his neck to take a better look of his flushed face, Yixing hides in his neck and tries to move himself even closer.

They stumble around the small apartment until they reach Kyungsoo's bed. His room is not as organized as the rest of the house, there are some of Kyungsoo's shirts on the floor and his wardrobe is open, disclosing an impressive collection of dark clothes.

Yixing detaches himself from Kyungsoo, leaving him to chase after a denied kiss. He lies on the bed and pulls off his sweater, Kyungsoo sits between his legs, folding one of his own under himself and leaving the other on the edge of the bed, to give himself enough space to adjust the tent in his pants. Yixing's red sweater is left carelessly on the empty side of Kyungsoo's bed, the room around him feels significantly colder, but soon enough Kyungsoo's hands pose on his chest, warming him up. Kyungsoo steals another kiss from him and many more after that, his soft hands roam the expanse of his chest and flicker his hardened nipples, Kyungsoo ends up taking one of them between his thick lips, not letting it go until a clear mark is embedded around it. Yixing scoots down the bed until he can press himself against the other's thigh, his hips swivel, getting out of him a delighted hum and pushing him to move slightly faster and push harder against Kyungsoo's firm flesh. Kyungsoo gives a last kiss to his chest and grips his hips, pulling him harder against himself and angling him until their crotches rub against each other.

Yixing bites his lower lip and lets himself be handled by Kyungsoo's whims, the room is drowned with the sound of fabrics moving against each other and of bathed breaths filled with arousal and impatient expectations. The slow build up is making Yixing's limbs tremble, his fidgety hands almost miss the grip on Kyungsoo's shirt when Yixing pulls him down close enough to let their noses to brush and to give him the opportunity to work each button of the other's checkered shirt open, Kyungsoo finishes the process by opening the buttons on his sleeves and letting the piece of clothing slide off his shoulders. He isn't as broad as Yixing, but what he lacks in wideness he makes up for it with strength: his arms and his chest are nicely toned, his body looks robust in the way that makes Yixing want to be hugged close, picked up and held down.

Kyungsoo stills his movements, his glasses are almost all the way down his nose and Yixing raises his back from the mattress to pull them off completely, he turns and lays back on his right side to move them to a safer place, posing them on the floor. Kyungsoo takes advantage of his position and pushes him around until his legs are closed, both laying on one side and bended at the knee. Kyungsoo hovers above him and kisses him again as his hand travels down his chest, sending shivers everywhere on Yixing's body; Kyungsoo forces an aroused sigh out of him as his strong hand reaches the bulge straining Yixing's jeans and palms it possessively. Yixing pushes his chest out and opens his legs slightly, helping him to unbutton and get rid of the heavy fabric.

The rest of their clothes comes off not too long after that, leaving them naked and unabashedly checking each other out: Yixing can feel Kyungsoo's intense gaze forge a path all over his skin and he can't help but do the same, not knowing where he should pose his eyes. Yixing is still on his right side, he is holding Kyungsoo's pillow against his chest and squirming around as the redheaded man caresses his closed thighs and the soft swell of his ass. Kyungsoo's hands are always naturally warm, but now they're burning, Yixing can feel his digits brand his skin, his wide palms leave signs of their presence everywhere in their wake, feeding into the embers already enveloping Yixing's body from the inside out. In the midst of Kyungsoo's movements and touches, Yixing doesn't even realize he has already retrieved the lube from somewhere in his room, he becomes aware of it only when his fingers skim past his entrance and Kyungsoo eases a finger in, while he caresses his side with his free hand,

"You look amazing, Yixing..." His voice travels through the hot air between them with a slight tremble, he pushes a second finger in and Yixing's back arches, he stops hiding his face in the pillow to peek at Kyungsoo's disheveled appearance again. The intensity in his eyes makes him whimper, his voice gets struck in his throat as he moves them from his own fingers to Yixing's face. Seeing Kyungsoo so affected is new, it's intimate.

Yixing raises his left arm and closes his hand around Kyungsoo's bicep, he pulls him against himself to kiss him once again. His hand threads in his hair to tug again and see Kyungsoo's skin prickle with goosebumps, he keeps his hand there for as long as he can, playing with Kyungsoo's weak spot over and over again as he kisses and bites down his plush, red lips.

"God..." Yixing's voice lets out in slurred Mandarin, his brain too preoccupied with feeling all the sensations Kyungsoo is giving him to filter his language properly. He continues praising Kyungsoo in a language he can't understand, but the man doesn't seem bothered, on the other hand he looks more fired up and aroused than before. The third finger makes Yixing's voice jump in his throat; the previous, quiet hums are replaced by loud moans and forceful shudders as Kyungsoo builds up the pace of his fucking.

"Stop, stop. Get in..." Yixing's hand, still holding Kyungsoo's free arm, grasps his flesh tighter, urging him to do as he asks. Kyungsoo takes out his fingers and pours more of the lube on them to spread it over his hardened dick. He strokes himself as Yixing turns around until he's on his back and with his legs spread wide. Tonight he couldn't be less concerned about experimenting, he doesn't have the need to fantasize or taking the matter into his hands to make it more interesting; all he desires right now is to be fucked by the book, spread open and willing, pleasing the man of his dreams and more than ready to take all he has to offer.

Kyungsoo is thick and impossibly hard, his dick pushes into Yixing's entrance slowly, giving him time to adjust. Kyungsoo uses his hand lathered in lube to stroke Yixing's hardness and help him calm his breathing and relax his muscles as much as he can. When he bottoms out, Yixing's chest heaves a loud sigh, as if his body couldn't afford to hold in so much air with the way he is being filled.

The pace starts slow and careful, the head of Kyungsoo's cock nails his prostrate at almost every thrust inside, it builds up the pleasure so easily that Yixing has to shove away the hand around his own member.

He repeats Kyungsoo's name over and over, his body and his mind filled with him and nothing else, raptured and nourished generously. Kyungsoo bends down and pushes his lips on Yixing's collarbones, his throat and then back to his cheeks and his lips. His hips take a faster pace, unrelenting, until both of their voices start attempting to form words, Kyungsoo takes Yixing's cock back in his hand, stroking him with the same intensity he's using to push his dick inside him. Yixing's voice breaks and his hands grip Kyungsoo's back, scratching his skin and shooting his come between their chests. Yixing's eyes shut closed and he throws his head back, as he is assaulted by a sensory wave mixing the ecstasy of his climax with the feeling of Kyungsoo's closeness. His chest heaves laboured breaths and his fingers fidget around the covers wishing they were grasping onto Kyungsoo instead.

The first thing he sees once he opens his eyes is Kyungsoo's damp bangs and the few drops of sweat rolling down the sides on his face; his mouth is open, he is panting and his eyebrows furrow as he draws his pace to a halt. Yixing doesn't have any strength left in his arms, his entire body is still tingling and shivering with the aftermath of his pleasure.

Kyungsoo gets himself out of Yixing's oversensitive body carefully, giving him time to recover. He is about to move away and Yixing gathers what's left of his strength to stop him, his hands grip Kyungsoo's arms denying him the freedom to leave.

"Where are you going?" his voice is light, airy; his hands move on the length of the other's arms to pull him back down.

"To get myself off," Kyungsoo pecks his lips and tries to roll on the free side of the bed, but Yixing lands his hands on his round ass and keeps him in place, between his parted thighs.

"Do it here." He licks his lips and looks at the dick still standing upright and angry red between Kyungsoo's legs. If Yixing still had the ability to move his body, he would have pushed him down and sucked him dry, no one deserves it more than he does, but for tonight he will have to settle for a quick handjob. Yixing still gives it his all, though: stroking him hard and long, teasing his tip and cupping his balls; he shows him every trick he has worked out and Kyungsoo moans and writhes above him, while calling him _beautiful_ and a _good boy_.

He comes adding to the mess on Yixing's belly, Yixing breaths out a laugh and is more than happy to welcome him in his arms when his hands give out and he falls forward. Kyungsoo tightens his arms around Yixing for a moment, before he jostle his body around to take some of his discarded clothes from the floor and clean both of them, paying careful attention to Yixing's wet entrance. Yixing keeps himself still, he raises his arms and purrs a deep hum when he recognizes in Kyungsoo's eyes the same seriousness he displays while working and feels his hot, scalding hands hold the same care. As soon as Yixing is clean, Kyungsoo moves around a bit longer to pull the covers over them and settle his face on Yixing's chest; Yixing hugs his head and hums happily when Kyungsoo does the same to his waist and leaves a light kiss on his chest.

Yixing falls asleep holding onto him tightly, still curious of what he'll see tomorrow when he wakes up. What will Kyungsoo say to him when the day lights up and the moment they are sharing now will be over.

 

-

 

Yixing is stirred awake. It comes as a confusing surprise, because he's been living on his own for so long and even when he wasn't alone, he has always woken up early, earlier than whoever he was sharing a bed with.

Kyungsoo's perfect voice whispers his name and his hand brushes his pink bangs off his forehead.

"Hey, Yixing," Yixing hums, he feels groggy and swollen, his back hurts. "I have to go to work, I'll be back for lunch." Kyungsoo's voice is closer, Yixing's right eye peeks at him, finding only a view of his chest as he leans on him to kiss his forehead. "You can eat the left-overs from yesterday for breakfast."

Yixing is listening half-heartedly, his most prominent thought is that if his breath didn't smell and taste like death he would have demanded a proper kiss.

"Wait for me here, okay?" Kyungsoo adds with a soft laugh, leaving another peck, this time on his cheek. Yixing slurs out an _okay_ that sounds barely human, he can hear Kyungsoo laugh again and rustle around before walking out of the bedroom and eventually out of the apartment.

Yixing snuggles to the covers feeling fuzzy and warm. Kyungsoo is officially a dream. The unexpected solution to the puzzle of Yixing's personal struggles, the personification of all he has ever wanted and even more. Yixing is sated and content like this, this is what he was wishing to feel when he thought about the beginning of his ideal love: a steady, simple feeling, with no electric shocks and no sudden jolts of emotion. He expected someone like Kyungsoo, slowly but surely building his presence in his life and then aiming straight for his heart, all while being caring and serious, but also fun and playful.

Yixing doesn't burrow into Kyungsoo's pillow, and breathe in his scent mixed with the fragrance of fabric softener and sex, thinking about tomorrow. He feels at peace, he knows he is cherished and whatever might happen in a week from now, when his hair dye will have faded, in months or even in years; he is sure that he'll look back at the time he has spent and will spend with Kyungsoo fondly and at today as the beginning of the first special love he has ever known.


End file.
